The Art Guys®

"SUITS: The Clothes Make the Man"
The Art Guys with Todd Oldham (1998-1999)

"...an all-out, super-public, totally social, transcontinental art event." - Dave Hickey

The Art Guys leased advertising space on specially tailored business suits designed for them by Todd Oldham. Then beginning in July of 1998, they wore these SUITS for a year throughout the United States, advertsing for their "clients.". There were 62 embroidered logos from 56 different companies on each SUIT. The SUITS are now in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

selected images

selected video
 

Watch The SUITS documentary on YouTube, iTunes, or HERE on the website The Greatest Movie Ever Stolen produced by Zenfilm.

[left] SUITS movie poster by Chris Lockwood, first printed in the Tampa Tribune in 1999 as part of the project "Art in the News" curated by Jade Dellinger

 
SUITS: The Clothes Make The Man

The Art Guys explore the connection between fashion, art, and commerce in this landmark conceptual piece. The two Houston-based artists spent a year crisscrossing the country wearing suits by designer Todd Oldham on which they had sold advertising space to 56 American companies. Suits captures-through photographs, essays, and an interview with The Art Guys-the story of their often hilarious experiences in their guise as human billboards. Includes essays by Dave Hickey, Shaila Dewan and a discussion between The Art Guys and Todd Oldham.

Order from The Art Guys. (Price $20 - does not include $5 handling fee and postage)

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selected essays, articles, press

"Absolutly for Sale" by Shaila Dewan, Houston Press, 1997
The Art Guys' guise: For their latest project, Houston's gonzo performance artists turn suits into a piece of work, Robert Philpot, The Fort Worth Star Telegram, 1998 [article]
The Art Guys Get Legit by Dave Hickey, SUITS: The Clothes Make The Man, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers
Selling of the Selling of the Selling of the Brand: Old Idea, New Hollywood Treatment by David Wenger of ID University
Art Guys Issue "Final" Statement Regarding Morgan Spurlock/SUITS Controversy by Troy Schulze of HoustonPress

The Art Guys Issue Final Statement Over Morgan Spurlock Suit Controversy by Steve Delahoyde of Mediabistro

 

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